Chris Crutcher’s “Whale Talk” centers on the hot-headed T.J. Jones, a student who occupies a unique social position at Cutter High School. Being adopted and one of the few multi-racial students in school, he’s a bit of an outcast, until he gets an opportunity to lead the school’s swim team. It soon becomes clear that what they’re doing isn’t chasing Letterman’s jackets or winning a few swim meets, but building a community. As a teacher, “I started changing my idea of what a hero is”, says Crutcher, watching kids in “situations that would have crushed me growing up.” Crutcher masterfully blends together humor and high-school dialogue with serious, weighty topics to create a coming-of-age story that proves how necessary friendship and community is to discover who you are as an individual.Aug. 24, 2024